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Entertainment February 16, 2017
If you were a ’90s kid, you probably hit your awkward middle school phase right alongside the clumsy yet lovable Lizzy McGuire. You bickered with your siblings like Ren and Louis on “Even Stevens,” and every time you and your best friend got into trouble, you felt a little bit like Raven and Chelsea (oh snap!).
The truth is, these Disney Channel superstars helped shape your childhood. And, now, there is a new generation of Disney stars who are on their way to becoming household names.
READ MORE: Oh, Snap – Raven Symone Leaving ‘The View’ for Disney’s “That’s So Raven” Reboot
Who are the new Hilary Duffs and Raven Symones? Here are five of ENTITY’s favorite Disney stars who are already taking names, making an impact and stealing hearts everywhere!
When we first heard “Boy Meets World” was getting a reboot, we could hardly contain our excitement to be reunited with the greatest couple of our childhood: Corey and Topanga. Rowan Blanchard plays their daughter, Riley, as the star of “Girl Meets World.” We think Corey Matthews would be proud of the real-life Rowan Blanchard, who, at just fifteen, has made headlines for identifying as queer and speaking up about feminism, Trump’s policies, trans rights and other political topics.
Although “Girl Meets World” was recently cancelled, Rowan made sure to leave viewers on an inspiring note. On her Instagram, she wrote: “I hope and think our show reflects you [teens] for how you are: brave, opinionated, devoted, dynamic, loving, nurturing and powerful…I am sorry that this channel is just not able to understand that…But I know what we are capable of. I know very well what we did. I am above all humbled to know I belong to such an extraordinary generation. What an honor.”
While Rowan’s role in “Girl Meets World” might be over, don’t expect to see her disappear from your TV screen anytime soon. She recently announced that she will appear as a guest on season four of ABC’s “The Goldbergs.” Rowan will also appear in the 2017 movie “A World Away” (think a trip to the Grand Canyon gone horribly wrong), and in the 2018 movie “A Wrinkle In Time” with stars like Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon.
READ MORE: Five Women Who Use Their Fame for Good
And, of course, she’ll likely be speaking up about plenty of controversial subjects every chance she gets.
With so many projects to juggle, it almost seems like there has to be two of Dove Cameron – or maybe that’s because she played both main characters in “Liv and Maddie.” This actress is the modern version of Lindsay Lohan in “The Parent Trap.” The series is unfortunately ending this coming March, but Cameron revealed that the intense finale features “one of [her] favorite moments in the whole series.”
Cameron will still stay plenty busy, however. She also starred as the daughter of Maleficent (played by Kristen Chenoweth) in the DCOM musical, “The Descendants.” Directed by “High School Musical”’s Kenny Ortega, the film gained massive popularity and Disney has already greenlighted a sequel, which should appear this summer. Last December, she also rocked the stage at NBC’s “Hairspray Live,” with some reviewers even claiming that she out-sang Ariana Grande. And, just a few days ago, Cameron also landed the cover of Galore and opened up about fans’ misconceptions that she’s “faking” her happiness.
“I think a lot of people think I’m either unintelligent because I’m a very happy person and I have a lot of energy or that it’s a fake happiness like fake energy,” she told Refinery29. “I completely understand that because it’s a lot to handle and I am a very emotional human being.”
READ MORE: What Marilyn Monroe and Kim Kardashian Teach Us About Beauty and Brains
A woman being gorgeous, smart and happy at the same time? Shocker! But, truthfully, Dove Cameron is doing a great job proving that being feminine and emotional doesn’t preclude success. We won’t be surprised if Dove Cameron’s popularly skyrockets to join the ranks of HSM stars Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale.
If you haven’t heard of Zendaya by now, it’s time to pay attention; we’re convinced this powerhouse is poised to take over the world. She first sashayed onto the scene in 2010 as the charismatic Rocky Blue in Disney Channel’s “Gotta Shake It Up.”
Since then, she’s slayed a singer, reached new fans as the runner-up on “Dancing With the Stars,” and returned to her Disney roots to star in her own series, “K.C. Undercover.” The ultra-fun show follows the teenage spy, K.C. Cooper, who tries to keep her double life a secret (a la “Hannah Montana”) while taking on hilarious undercover assignments (often requiring “That’s So Raven”-level ridiculous disguises).
She’s also been a loud proponent for diversity, recently praising the Oscars for recognizing more actors of color. “I think that is so important — and it’s beautiful to see,” Zendaya told PEOPLE. “There are so many young people that are watching, and it’s important to reflect them and represent them.” Zendaya’s fashion line proves what she preaches in that it offers sizes ranging from 0 to 22 – and Zendaya even offered a woman being body-shamed on Twitter a modeling job.
READ MORE: Zendaya and Winnie Harlow Stand up for Female Empowerment in Elevator (VIDEO)
Zendaya isn’t afraid to speak her mind – whether on mental health and her struggles with anxiety or on photoshopping in magazines – and that’s one of the reasons this singer can put even her spy alter-ego to shame.
Another multitalented starlet, Sofia Carson slayed her debut single, “Love Is the Name,” which went on to become a song of the summer for 2016. She first appeared on the Disney Channel as a guest star on “Austin & Ally” before landing a role in the musical hit, “The Descendants” and “The Descendants 2.” Carson also received the honor of starring in the 100th Disney Channel Original Movie, a reboot of the 80s flick, “Adventures in Babysitting.”
Another sign that Sofia Carson is on the path to super stardom? She played the lead in the next film in “The Cinderella Story” franchise, joining the ranks of former Disney Channel stars, Hillary Duff and Selena Gomez. You might have even seen her hosting the All Access live stream of the Oscars with Sports Reporter Ben Lyons on Facebook. This girl knows how to make an entrance…even on her first trip to the Oscars.
Music fans also know that Carson recently released the video for her song, “Back to Beautiful.” With lyrics like “Judging who we love, judging where we’re from / When did this become so normal? / Celebrating hate is now a commonplace / When did this become so normal?,” we can’t wait to see what empowering jams the rest of her album holds.
READ MORE: Top 5 Female Music Duos That Should Be on Your #GirlPower Playlist
Even if you don’t regularly watch the Disney Channel, you might recognize Jenna Ortega as the actress who plays Young Jane on The CW’s hit show, “Jane the Virgin.” Among young adults, though, Ortega is best known for appearing in the Disney family comedy “Stuck in the Middle.” The show’s second season began this past month with its first movie, “Stuck in the Waterpark.” Ortega also appears (at least in voice) as Princess Isabel in the animated show “Elena of Avalor.” The TV show – which received plenty of buzz for featuring the first Latina princess – premiered this past summer and has recently been renewed for its third season.
READ MORE: Could an LGBTQ Disney Princess Be in Our Future?
Of course, Jenna Ortega has won over fans in real life as well. Back in December, she hosted a meet-and-greet at CJ’s Mongolian Grill and dedicated all the proceeds to a Riley Rose, 5-year-old fighting cancer. Ortega revealed that she had a best friend named Desirae (Desi) Cechin who passed away from neuroblastoma. Ortega explained the event by saying: “I loved Desi. Now that someone else around Desi’s age has the same disease – and you know it’s the holidays it’s the season to give – I thought I should do something and help in some way.”
As if that isn’t sweet enough, one of Ortega’s goals for 2017 is “to do something nice for someone else every day,” according to an interview with Cliche mag. “There is so much hate in this world, and I feel like if I could brighten up someone’s day if I could spread some more love and light in this world.”
All we have to say is that, at age fourteen, we were probably just trying to survive math class without falling asleep. Jenna Ortega is proof that you don’t have to wait to make an impact!
READ MORE: How to Raise Brave Girls and Teach Your Daughters to Be Fearless
Depending on when you watched the Disney channel, you probably idolized different stars. However, whether you grew up loving Hilary Duff or are still cheering for Sofia Carson, our favorite female Disney channel stars prove that there’s no age limit to inspiring role models. As Raven would say, “Oh snap!”
